More than 50 social service groups will collaborate next week to find solutions to help the community.

And according to Lauren Trott, of the Interagencies Committee, more organisations including churches, football clubs, community activist groups and charities are welcome to attend.

The meeting on Tuesday from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hamilton Princess aims to identify ways the groups can work together to understand the problems facing the Island and get results.

Ms Trott said: "Collectively we can achieve more than we can on our own. You know the saying united we stand, divided we fall."

She hopes other agencies come on board with those already signed up "because they might have valued information that (others can) utilise".

So far the groups have met on two occasions, once in June and again in September, and have seen "incremental progress". They not only identified which areas are covered by each organisation, they also compiled a list of problems facing the Island.

The next meeting, which will be attended by The Family Centre, Women's Resource Centre, Bermuda Youth Counseling Services, The Red Cross, Centre on Philanthropy, charities, churches and dozens of other organisations, hopes to identify areas they may be overlooking or missing.

"After we identify them through gap analysis we will be able to move further and put steps into action," said Ms Trott. "We have five objectives, such as enhancing the transparency and accountability of the social service sector, because when we are transparent and open with other agencies we are able to develop trust, commitment and accountability.

"I think it is a beginning and the journey starts with the first step and we are on step three," she said.

So far the meetings have been successful, she said, with participants not only leaving enthusiastic, but with the numbers getting bigger each time.

l Anyone else interested in attending the meeting can sign up by phoning 236-7766.